The 1974 graduate was a two-time all-conference performer in basketball and helped the Rams to a pair of 20-win seasons.

Now a color commentator for Rams football and basketball, Holmes was the leading hitter on the Shepherd baseball team three of his four seasons. He also compiled a 9-0 record as a pitcher.

A former Martinsburg basketball and baseball coach, Holmes led the Bulldogs to three state baseball titles.

"I am truly humbled to be here," Holmes said. "I often look at my time at Shepherd as four of the best years of my life."

He also thanked his family and friends, including his mother, of whom he said, "thought I could do no wrong."

That drew cheers and acknowledgments from the several tables of Holmes supporters who were in attendance.

Joe Reel was a four-year starter for the Rams on the defensive line from 1967-71.

He helped the Rams to a 7-1-2 record his senior year, and the Rams' captain was scouted by several NFL teams.

Reel was an NAIA All-American and went to to play for the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League.

Reel said he had the opportunity to play for two great coaches during his time at Shepherd, Roger Parker and Walter Barr.

"Coach Parker took over a program and before he was done, he had us beating teams that had previously thumped us," Reel said.

That all came to a high point when Barr took over and the Rams went 7-1-2.

Jodie Runner came to Shepherd and established a solid women's basketball program, including a record-setting 24-7 record in 2008.

When she came to Shepherd, Runner was better known as a player at West Virginia University, where she was a member of the first WVU women's team to advance to the Sweet 16.

It was during that time that she decided to be a head coach.

"We had a lot of success, but there was not a good atmosphere," Runner said. "I became a coach to make a difference. I didn't think you have to tear down a player to have a successful program."

She also thanked two people in particular.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Betsy Blose, who took a chance and hired me as an assistant coach," Runner said. "And then (then-Athletic director) Monte Cater, who took a chance and hired me as the head coach in 2002."

Runner was the West Virginia Conference coach of the year in 2009 and helped coach the Rams to a pair of conference championships, the 2008 team advancing to the Eastern Regional title game.

Over seven years as the Rams' coach, she was 116-87.

Greg Stup had success in all four years as a Rams defensive lineman, finishing his career with 13 sacks for a team that finished 7-3. He was the WVC Defensive Player of the Year in 2006.

He played on a pair of WVC championship teams during his career and had 33.5 career sacks, still a school record. In fact, Stup led the team in sacks in each of his four seasons.

Among the coaches he played for was Jeff Casteel, who went on to have success as the defensive coordinator at WVU and is now at Arizona.

"I want to thank coach Casteel for sticking with me at defensive tackle," Stup said. "I'm still not sure how many explicatives he threw at me during that time, but I'm sure there aren't enough fingers in this room to count them all."

Paul "Soupy" Hillyard, a longtime member of the of the Shepherd Hall of Fame Committee and 1997 Hall of Fame inductee, was honored as the 2012 Shepherd University Hall of Fame medalist recipient.